


the stars, the moon, they have all been blown out

by dryadfiona



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Nonbinary Character, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-19 10:04:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7356868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dryadfiona/pseuds/dryadfiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amethyst teaches Lapis about Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the stars, the moon, they have all been blown out

"Lazuli, how much of Earth have you seen?" Amethyst asks one day when they're all out at the barn.

"Not enough," Lapis responds emphatically. Amethyst likes when Lapis gets like this--excited, cheerful, a little bit wild--but it's not often.

"Would you like to see more?"

And just like that, she's back to how she normally is--quiet and distrustful. Amethyst gets it, she  _does_ , but it's a little jarring sometimes.

"Why?"

"It's not exactly often that I get to show another Gem anything about this place!"

"What about the other Crystal Gems? I'm just...here."

Amethyst doesn't bother to dignify the last part with a response. "Well, Garnet is chill but she doesn't really care about Earth, Pearl's too uptight, Peri's great but she's  _weird,_ and Steven's seen it all already. You're the only one here who wants to see Earth aaaaaaaand who doesn't know anything about it, so you can get the best possible tour experience!"

There's a brief pause, then Lapis says, "You're on."

"Sweet! Okay, when d'you wanna go?"

"Now?" Lapis says, looking unsure. "I mean...it's not like I have anything to do."

"Sure, dude! Let me just let Garnet know first."

\--

"Okay, so we can warp back--" Amethyst begins, but she doesn't even get to finish her sentence before Lapis interrupts her.

"I've seen hardly anything of Earth, and you want to take a shortcut?" Lapis asks.

Amethyst prepares to say, "Look, I was just trying to be  _helpful_ ," but the look on Lapis' face stops her. "You're...teasing me."

"Are you saying I can't tease you on this trip?" Lapis says. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Oh, no, teasing's fine," Amethyst says with a grin.

"Good," Lapis smiles back at her. "So...ready?"

"To walk?"

"Or..." Lapis lets her voice trail off before flapping her wings and looking at Amethyst imploringly.

"As if I'd pass up a chance to fly," Amethyst says, and that's all the warning she gets before Lapis picks her up and just  _goes._

"Whoa!"

"Sorry, are you okay?" Lapis asks anxiously. "I'm used to just kind of doing before I think about stuff too much."

"Me too," Amethyst says breathlessly. "Next time though, maybe a bit more warning before we go hundreds of feet in the air?"

"Sure," Lapis says.

"By the way, the way you're carrying me right now is called a bridal carry," Amethyst says. She's an  _awesome_ teacher.

"Bridal?"

"Oh, man, you don't know  _anything_."

Lapis looks at her with a deadpan expression, then says, "I could drop you right now."

"I could shift into something with wings!" Amethyst responds.

"You can shift that well?" Lapis asks, interested.

"Yeah, I'm kind of a master," Amethyst says with a grin.

"No way."

"Uh, yes way," Amethyst says. "And I can prove it! C'mon, pick something for me to shift into."

"Um..." Lapis bites her lip, looking around them as if for an idea. "I don't know. Can you shift into me?"

"I doubt I can do your fancy water wings, but I think I got the rest." After a second she shifts into the other Gem's form, stretching out her arms. "It's a bit awkward to carry someone more your size, huh?"

Lapis is staring at her with her mouth wide open. "That's  _amazing_."

Amethyst blushes, shifting back into her own form. "It's not that big a deal."

"Of course it is! That's impressive! I mean...shifting is one thing, but you make it look so easy."

"I'm just a pro."

"I doubt  _that,_ " Lapis says, and oh, they're back to teasing.

Amethyst sticks her tongue out at her.

\--

"Lapis."

"Yes, Amethyst?"

"I'm going to introduce you to the most important thing you'll ever experience in your life."

"...pizza?" Lapis looks doubtfully up at the sign. "Fish Stew Pizza is the most important thing I'll ever experience?"

"First of all,  _never_ say pizza like that again. Pizza is sacred." Amethyst sighs dramatically. "Secondly, not just pizza, but  _food._ Have you ever eaten before?"

"I don't think so?"

"You would have noticed," Amethyst laughs. "Hey, Jenny!"

"Amethyst!" Jenny reaches over the counter for a high-five. "Who's your girlfriend?"

"My  _friend_ here is Lapis! And she's never had pizza."

"Well, we'll have to fix that. Kiki!"

"Yeah, sis?"

"How do I work the register again? Amethyst's friend here has never had pizza."

"Never had pizza!" Nanafua says, offended. "Forget paying. It's on the house."

"Um," Kofi says.

"Kofi," Nanafua says strictly. "Lapis has never had pizza."

Lapis shifts, clearly a bit uncomfortable with the attention. "So..."

Jenny hands them a few slices of pizza. "Listen to Gunga, it's on the house."

"Thanks, Jenny," Amethyst says before dropping into a seat. "Care to join me?"

"Why not?" Lapis says with a small smile. "So...what do I do here?"

Amethyst picks up the pizza and takes a bite. "Just do that," she says around the food in her mouth, "then just...chew and swallow?"

Lapis looks doubtfully at the pizza and takes a small bite, chewing it with her nose scrunched up for a second before her face relaxes. "Dude."

"I  _know_ , right?"

Lapis takes a huge bite and looks as if she's never been more happy in her life. "Please tell me all food is as good as this."

"No," Nanafua says. "Fish pizza is the best food in the world."

"She's right," Amethyst agrees. Lapis' face falls. "Other stuff's pretty awesome, though. Ice cream. Popcorn. Fry bits, oh my God, we have to go--"

\--

"I think," Lapis says, mouth full of fries. "That the normal fries and the fry bits are equally good."

"Lazuli, I don't like you anymore."

"Oh, so you liked me before?"

Amethyst doesn't respond, just looks out the window of the fry shop.

"Hey, Amethyst?"

"Hm?"

"What's a girlfriend?"

"What?" Amethyst says, almost falling out of her chair.

"That thing the girl said. She called me your girlfriend?"

"Oh. Um...it's...huh."

"If you don't want to explain, it's fine--"

"No, you're good, it's just...kinda hard to?" Amethyst sighs.

"It's a kind of friend,  right?"

"Yeah, but also--"

"The girl part?"

"Um...not really."

"What's a girl?"

Amethyst shrugs. "Beats me, man. Something the humans came up with. Technically all us Gems are girls, except Steven, but that's only because that's how humans view us. I don't really care either way."

"Weird."

"Yeah."

"So...a friend who's a girl?"

"It's...okay, so when someone's a friend, but they're also something  _more_."

"A girl?"

"No, just--"

"Like a best friend?" Lapis asks.

"No...kind of like Ruby and Sapphire? But less, no one's on _their_ level."

"So...someone you want to spend time with? All the time?"

"Yeah, kinda!"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Amethyst drops her tray of fry bits. "Um."

"Sorry, is that not...okay to ask?" Lapis is confused again. "I still don't really get it."

"I don't think you like me, Lazuli."

"But I do!" Lapis protests, and  _fuck,_ it's adorable.

"Not like girlfriends should. It's a different kind of like."

Lapis looks down. "Yeah, I kinda got that when I asked you."

"So you...oh."

"I don't know. Maybe? You're the only one besides Steven who offered to show me around and I don't like  _him_ \--"

"Good, he's just a kid," Amethyst says. "But...you like me?"

"Yeah." Lapis says. "Yeah, I think so."

Amethyst reaches over and takes her hand. "This is one thing girlfriends do. For a start."

Lapis looks at their linked hands, then back up at her with a smile. "What else?"

\--

"Garnet!" Steven yells as soon as she warps back. "I was on the boardwalk today and you won't  _believe_ who I saw in the fry shop--"

"Amethyst and Lapis."

"Well...yeah, but they were--"

"Future vision," Garnet says, smiling and just generally looking really cool.

"Or Amethyst just told you right when they got back," Pearl says.

"That too."


End file.
